Israel destroys rocket factories in Iran. Fourth day of open war

The fourth day of open conflict in the Middle East brought a sharp escalation of military actions. The Israeli army officially confirmed carrying out precise strikes on key military installations in Isfahan. The attacks primarily targeted factories producing components for ballistic missiles, which, according to Tel Aviv, is necessary to ensure the security of the Jewish state. This operation coincided with political paralysis in Tehran, where the airstrikes prevented the procedure for selecting a new spiritual leader, putting the Islamic Republic on the brink of a succession crisis under wartime conditions. The situation is rapidly destabilizing neighboring monarchies. In the port of Oman, drones damaged fuel tanks, and in Riyadh, there was an attack on the US embassy and a strike attributed to Iranian forces. Saudi Arabia, which had previously kept its distance, put its army on high alert and warned of a military response in case of attacks on its critical infrastructure, threatening to turn the conflict into a multilateral regional war. In Iran itself, there is a mood of mourning after the funerals of the victims of the airstrikes, including several schoolgirls, which fuels public anger but also mobilizes the regime to harsher rhetoric towards Europe, which Tehran warned against supporting Israel's operations. Iranian-Saudi relations since the Islamic Revolution in 1979 have been characterized by deep rivalry for religious and political dominance in the Muslim world, often conducted through proxy wars. From an international perspective, this conflict is closely watched by Moscow and Washington. Experts indicate that for Vladimir Putin, the destabilization of the Middle East represents 'pure profit' through rising oil prices and diverting Western attention from Ukraine. The situation is closely monitored by European allies of the USA, who are analyzing the impact of the Pentagon's engagement in the Middle East on global arms supply chains. The use of Starlink technology by hacker groups linked to Iran suggests a new sphere of combat in cyberspace, targeted against the critical infrastructure of the USA and its allies. „Война на Ближнем Востоке — это трагедия, но она показывает провал американской политики в регионе.” (War in the Middle East is a tragedy, but it shows the failure of American policy in the region.) — Vladimir Putin In the face of an expected prolonged campaign, Israel announced the mobilization of resources for several weeks of operations. The international community faces the challenge of preventing mass migration from Iran, which European right-wing groups are already warning about, seeing in the escalation a risk of repeating the refugee crisis. Simultaneously, questions arise about the effectiveness of contemporary international law in the face of asymmetric and hybrid conflicts.